Up North Distillery

The Inland Northwest sure is growing isn’t it?! We all see it, and we all have different opinions about it.

One of the positives of the growth, in my opinion, is as the population grows so does the potential for new businesses to emerge and succeed. This blog’s mission is to help you discover these new locally owned and operated ventures with a hope I might inspire you to see their value to our community.

Up North Distillery is one of these businesses. A vision of two couples who have put their heart and soul into bringing us something new and beautiful. They want you to know:

“Our goal is to create products “Farm to the Flask” using locally sourced honey, grains, and fruits to create unique spirits and flavors that tantalize your taste buds and delight the soul.”

Love their open air bar!

Photograph by Teuvo Orjala

Now let me get it out of the way. I’m not a huge liquor drinker. I’m a dark beer kinda guy. But I appreciate quality when I see it, and I do enjoy a good cocktail now and then.

When I visited Up North Distillery not only did I discover they have amazing cocktails, but that they brew and bottle five home made spirits as well!

There is nothing more patriotic than supporting local businesses owned by our neighbors!

I knew that Bardenas made their own liquor but until now had no idea we had local Idahoans brewing fine spirits right here in Post Falls!

My visit to Up North Distillery was also a serious education lesson. Until now I must admit I knew little about the process that actually goes into creating spirits. I learned that you can’t call a liquor Whiskey unless it is made from grain. Up North uses honey to make its spirits.

The other incredibly unique thing about Up North Distillery is that they have their own liquor store on site. They believe at the moment that they are the only distillery, bar, and liquor store all in one in all of Idaho!

When you visit Up North you will be surprised by how nice it is inside! A beautiful bar and wood walls with a garage door opening so you can enjoy the sun while having a drink on a nice day.

Ok taste test time. I decided that to do it right I needed to jump right in and try the good stuff, neat. I asked for two fingers of the Barrel Reserve. Now I’ve drank my fair share of the hard stuff in my day but let me be honest more often than not it was drowned in soda. So when I took my first sip I was kinda blown away. It was so sweet and smooth. I had a picture in my mind of me sitting by the fire in a sweater on a cool fall afternoon sipping a glass and watching giant white clouds slowly move across a crisp blue sky. I’m no liquor connoisseur but let’s just say it felt right going down.

Having been impressed by their flagship liquor, I decided to try one of their specialty cocktails. They pride themselves with having a good selection of local beer, wine, and spirits so I decided to try the Sweet Heat.

Needless to say, I was more than won over by what I found at Up North Distillery. We go have a drink to relax, enjoy friends or kick back after a hard day of work. It’s a treat. A time to let go of the normal confines most of us “responsible” people hold ourselves to. So when you do have a night to enjoy yourself keep it local.

My goal is always to highlight and support locally owned and operated businesses that help grow our community and keep our money here in the northwest.

In 2015 Idahoans spent $179 million on liquor! Yep, I triple checked that number. Unbelievable right? Well, of course most of that was probably on Jack Daniels, Captian Morgan, and Absolute Vodka. All companies owned by people who have probably never stepped one foot in Idaho, unless to go skiing at their winter house in Sun Valley.

So let’s help keep some of those millions here in North Idaho. When you need a bottle for a party or a gift run over to Up North Distillery. If you want a great new place to try a creative cocktail or take visiting friends head over to Up North Distillery. And when you go out to get a drink request Up North Distillery. Every time you do this you vote for the health and happiness of North Idaho.